Spot Fine Scheme On Drawing Board

Curious motorists eager to see just how the proposed on-the-spot fine system for erring drivers is going to be implemented would have to wait for a while as the proposal is still on the drawing board according to Mr. Tanoh, the Commander of the Police MTTU.

Minister for Finance, Mr. Osafo Maafo, dropped the hint about the system during his presentation of the national budget recently and since then motorists have been wondering about its feasibility against the backdrop of corruption among some Police personnel charged with the responsibility of ensuring decency on our roads.

According to Mr. Tanoh, Superintendent of Police, the proposal is yet to be packaged for Cabinet before being passed on to Parliament for its passage into law.

On the fatal accident involving the Presidential convoy last Sunday, the commander expressed dismay about the rampant accidents on our roads and called on drivers to be cautious.

According to him there is no way that motorists would not hear an approaching convoy they are amply heralded by a siren.

Mr. Tanoh said the movement of convoys follows laid-down procedures and that those who sought to create the impression that excessive speed caused the mishap got it wrong.

Had over speeding been the cause of the crash, the impact would have been worse than what was recorded during the accident, he added.

A twenty-metre gap is mandatory between the vehicles in a convoy to prevent accidents, Tanoh continued, adding that the convoy was within the regulation speed of 80k/hr and that was why some of the vehicles were able to swerve thus saving more lives.

The Police, he said, would not be deterred by the recalcitrance of some drivers but would continue to do their utmost to ensure sanity on our roads.

Mr. Tanoh and his outfit have been organizing education programmes for commercial drivers on road safety. It is therefore surprising that accidents continue on our highways. The situation looks like a jinx which continues even as efforts are made to stem it.

In the United States the system under which erring motorists who for instance park at unauthorized locations are given tickets to go and pay specified amounts is very much dreaded by drivers and therefore a major source of sanity on roads.

In the absence of drivers the Police drop the tickets in the vehicles and they are obliged to go and pay. With a computerized system in place there is no way a driver can evade the payment of such fines. Erring motorists are notified should their presence be required at courts in the case of certain offences.

Driving licences can be suspended for certain offences and when in the estimation of the authorities there is the need to completely withdraw authorization to drive it is applied instantly and communicated to licensing authorities throughout the United States.